Missing Scenes from the FIOverse
by Kesterpan
Summary: Filling in some of the blanks from my story Figuring It Out, many by reader request. Makes more sense if you read the other story first! Not necessarily in chronological order. Either directly or indirectly Gibbs/Tony slash. Also contains some supernatural elements, namely an afterlife.
1. The Letter

**Happy New Year! So here we go… first in a series of missing scenes, most by reader request, from my 'Figuring It Out universe,' or FIO-verse. Trying to fill in some of the gaps, explore some of the relationships in a bit more detail, while I work on a longer and more intricate sequel to Figuring It Out. These won't necessarily be in chronological order, and I'll provide a bit of explanation for each one, along with a reference to the chapter(s) it refers to. Odds are this won't make as much sense as it could if you haven't read FIO. Rating for these missing scenes is expected to stay at T. **

**The usual disclaimers apply… the story is mine, the recognizable characters from NCIS aren't. Unbetaed, so all mistakes are mine as well.**

**This first one is from a request first made by jjd022980… from chapter 32 of FIO, where Tony decides he needs some time away after Gibbs' rescue. Other readers were also curious about what was going through Tony's mind while he wrote the letter, as well as Ducky's reaction when Tony gave it to him to deliver to Gibbs in the hospital, and McGee's and Ziva's reactions to Tony leaving.**

**The Letter**

'Dear Jethro,'

_Ugh. Too formal. _

Tony crossed that off, then started again.

'Hi Boss,'

_No. He's a lot more than that now._

'Hey Jeth,'

_Yeah – that's right._

'I'm really sorry about this'

_No way. Start off breaking a rule? Bad move. He's gonna be unhappy enough as it is._

Tony sat up abruptly at that thought, then tossed the pen down on the desk, stood up, and walked to the window.

_What am I doing? Jeth's always – well, almost always – been there for me. I wouldn't even be alive if it weren't for him. So now I'm just gonna walk away, while he's stuck in the hospital? What the hell kind of Saint Bernard am I? _

Tony moved away from the window, tapping his fingers on his thigh. He was feeling guilty just having thoughts of taking off, even if only for a few days. He imagined Jethro looking disappointed… then his head tilted as he considered that. Would Jethro really be disappointed in him? He was the one who'd broken his promise to keep Tony in the loop, to let him be on his six. As he thought over the tension, worry, and helplessness of the past few days, the anger started to come back.

_I've gotten to know him so much better… he's less of a bastard and more emotional and understanding than I would have expected. He'll get it – I think. If not, well… he should have waited. _

He thought about their overnight conversation in the hospital. Jethro had been so open, letting Tony in to his very private emotional world. Tony threw himself onto the couch, his leg bouncing rapidly as he thought things over.

_Jethro's trying. So do I really need to leave?_

Tony thought back over the number of times he'd woken up in a cold sweat, gasping for breath after finding Jethro dead yet again in a dream, or watching him die horribly at Johnson's hands. One of the nightmares he'd had in the hospital while he slept next to Jethro's bed had been particularly gruesome… Tony had made it into the warehouse in time to see Jethro, his hands tied to the steering wheel, struggling to get away from Johnson, who grabbed Jethro by the hair, yanked his head back, and cut his throat slowly; Jethro's dying scream had become garbled in blood and then cut off abruptly.

_Jethro got impatient, and we're both paying for it._

Tony got up from the couch and headed back to the desk. He sat down, picked up the pen, and resumed writing.

'Hey Jeth,

I need to get away… I can't sleep, these nightmares are driving me crazy, and frankly I'm still pissed'

Tony sat back, tossed the pen down again, then grabbed the paper and crumpled it up. 'Pissed' wasn't really the right word. They'd talked that out at the hospital, and while Tony didn't like what Jethro had done, he did understand it.

_So what do I really need to tell him?_

Tony leaned back in his chair and thought back over the past several weeks. This new relationship made him feel like he was in the twilight zone… but a freakishly good version of the twilight zone. He cast his thoughts further back, to when Jethro had been blown up and left for Mexico.

_Not Jethro then, Gibbs. _

Tony and Gibbs hadn't been romantically involved back then… but Gibbs had been a central focus of his life, and it had hurt terribly when Gibbs had left without anything more than 'You'll do' and 'Semper fi.'

_So what would I want to know from Jethro if our positions were reversed right now? That I'll be back, this isn't permanent… and I'd want to know why. I'd want to know that I'm still important to him._

Tony straightened up, then grabbed the pen and started over.

'Hey Jeth,

Stop assuming the worst. This isn't a 'Dear John' letter… although I guess it would be a 'Dear Jethro' letter. I just want to let you know that I'm heading out of town for a few days…'

Tony folded the letter and stuck it in an envelope, writing 'Gibbs' across the front. He tossed it down on the desk, then went into his bedroom and packed a bag, throwing in enough clothes for four days, although he wasn't sure he'd be there that long.

_Wherever 'there' is – maybe a beach. Not too far away in case Jethro needs me._

He added a book he'd been meaning to read, then grabbed the bag and the envelope, leaving them near the door. He went to the computer, and researched flights for that evening, finding something heading to a small airstrip near the North Carolina coast. A little more hunting found the website for a nice hotel with a full gym, right off the beach and near a touristy shopping district. A few phone calls later and the reservations were all set.

_Now to get the letter to Jethro. _

Giving it to him personally was out of the question. There would have been no point to writing the letter if he was going to just go tell Jethro what he was doing, and he knew if he went to the hospital there was no way he'd leave. He couldn't ask Abby to deliver it; she'd never understand and she'd guilt trip him into staying. Ziva would also demand a lot of explanation, and he didn't want to involve McGee given how difficult it had been for McGee to accept his new relationship with Jethro.

He took his cell phone off his belt and hit the speed button for Ducky.

"_Anthony, my boy, how are you?"_

"Hey, Ducky. Are you at the hospital?"

"_No, I'm here at NCIS. Two bodies to process… looks like a double homicide. Tom Brucker's team got the case, and I must say they're doing a very thorough job. I'm actually reminded of when you took over for Jethro when he retired to Mexico; Agent Brucker has similar determination and drive –"_

"Are you going to be there for a bit, Ducky? I'd like to swing by; I've got to ask you for a favor."

"_I shall be here for a few hours yet, my boy. I'll be heading back to the hospital to see Jethro afterwards; you are of course welcome to join me."_

"I'll be there soon, Ducky… thanks."

Tony hung up and walked to the door, picking up his bag and the envelope.

_Better do this now before I talk myself out of it._

The drive to NCIS didn't take long, and he went directly to Autopsy, hoping to avoid seeing any of his other friends. He walked in to see Ducky and Jimmy Palmer standing over one of the bodies on a table. Jimmy looked up and gave him a big grin.

"Hi Tony! Great news about Agent Gibbs, huh?"

Tony gave him a small smile in return. "Yeah, Jimmy." He turned to Ducky, and just jumped right in. "I'm going away for a few days, Ducky. Could you give this to Gibbs for me?" He held out the envelope.

The smile dropped off Jimmy's face and he glanced at Ducky with a worried look. Ducky's expression turned somewhat grim. "Anthony, I do hope you aren't doing anything foolishly impulsive."

Tony shook his head rapidly, dropping his arm, the envelope still in his hand. "This isn't anything permanent… and I'm not breaking it off with Gibbs, I promise. I just –" He paused and looked down at the floor, gathering his thoughts. He looked back up, glancing between both men. "I need some time away, Ducky."

Ducky peered at him through his glasses.

Tony sighed. "Every time I fall asleep, I have nightmares about Gibbs. It started when he disappeared and hasn't stopped, not even after I killed Johnson. I just need some time away, get my head on straight again."

Ducky continued to stare at him. "And you don't want to tell Jethro yourself because…?"

Tony met his gaze. "Because if I go see him, I won't be able to leave. And I really think I need to go… somewhere."

Ducky sighed and looked off to one side. "I would so hate to see you pursue an action that you can't undo later."

Tony shook his head. "I promise you everything's okay between me and Jethro. There's nothing to worry about, Ducky. You said he'll only be in the hospital for a few days, right? You call me when you know for sure when he's going home, and I'll be there."

Ducky nodded. "Alright, my boy."

Tony smiled. "Thanks, Ducky." He held out the envelope again, and this time Ducky took it. "Oh, here, I grabbed these the other day." He took Gibbs' reading glasses out of his jacket pocket and gave them to Ducky. He turned to go, but Ducky reached out and stopped him.

"You will call him later, Anthony? Don't leave him hanging."

Tony nodded. "I will." He patted Ducky's arm, shot Jimmy a smile, and once again turned to leave, but Ducky didn't let go.

"Anthony – perhaps you should talk to someone about all these dreams you are having. The subconscious can be so very unrelenting."

Tony sighed and gently disengaged his arm, squeezing Ducky's shoulder. "Thanks. I know why I'm having the nightmares; I don't need to talk to a therapist about them to get them to make sense. I just need them to stop… everything really is okay with me and Jethro; we talked at the hospital. We both need to get past all this, and that's why I'm going away – to see if I can get my head on straight so that they'll stop and we can just move forward from here."

Ducky nodded approvingly. "Well, then, I wish you a fruitful trip and I hope you come back refreshed and relaxed."

Tony gave him a genuine smile. "Thanks, Ducky." He waved to Jimmy and turned to go, grimacing as Ziva and McGee walked in.

They both looked surprised to see him. "Are you going to the hospital, Tony?" Ziva asked.

Tony shook his head. "No… no, I'm actually heading south for a few days."

McGee's brow furrowed. "Director Vance is sending you on a case? I thought he gave you some time off."

Tony cleared his throat and nodded. "He did. I'm getting out of town for a few days, that's all."

Ziva's eyes widened. She exchanged glances with McGee, who turned his head slightly and gave Tony a puzzled look. "You're leaving when Gibbs is in the hospital?" McGee's question sounded more like a statement, and to Tony it seemed like an accusation.

Tony nodded slightly and stared at a spot on the wall near where McGee was standing. "Need to get my head on straight, Tim."

Ziva shook her head. "You cannot just – just leave Gibbs after what he has been through!"

Tony looked at her for a moment, and she looked back, clearly indignant on Gibbs' behalf. He glanced at McGee, who still looked confused. Shaking his head, he gave them both a slight smile. "I'll see you guys in a few days." He started for the door, but Ziva moved in front of him, blocking his path.

"Ziva…" Ducky's voice came from behind Tony, but no one seemed to pay attention. Tony and Ziva stared at each other, and McGee hovered anxiously.

Ziva looked furious. "Gibbs needs you, Tony. I cannot believe you would be so selfish as to walk away from him now."

Tony glared back at her. "Gibbs and I talked, Zi-vah – a lot. We're fine. I'm not breaking it off with him. I just need some space to get past what happened. I'm not going to be able to do that here."

Ziva moved forward, into Tony's personal space. "And how do you know that?"

Tony growled low in his throat, and Ziva actually stepped back a pace. "Because the nightmares won't quit. That's all I'm saying, and I'd appreciate it if you would get out of my way."

"Tony…" McGee's voice was hesitant at first, but gained strength quickly. "Tony, I saw how happy Gibbs was when you came back to the hospital after you went to see Vance. Ziva's right… he does need you."

Tony turned toward McGee, confused. "You'd left by then."

McGee shook his head. "No, well, yes, I had, but Vance sent me back to ask Abby about some evidence that seemed to have gone missing. Her cell was off… I got back right after you did and followed you down the hall. So I, um, I saw how Gibbs looked at you when you got to the room… and I went back to the waiting room and talked to Ducky until Abby came out."

Tony looked at McGee for a moment, then shook his head a bit. "I know," he said softly. "I know how he feels, and he knows how I feel, and I promise you that we're okay. I know I'm not being a very loyal Saint Bernard at the moment –" Ziva cut in with a muttered "or a lover" – "but I need to do this or I'm worried that it's all going to get in the way. Gibbs will understand… and I've already told Ducky I'll call him later."

Tony set his gaze on the door, and moved past Ziva to the walk through and hit the button for the elevator. A few moments later he was gone.

Ziva turned to Ducky. "I think he is making a mistake. We should go after him."

McGee shook his head. "No, Ziva, I don't think so. Remember when he woke up screaming in the bullpen that first night? If he's having dreams like that all the time, maybe he really does need to get away."

Ducky chimed in. "I do believe that Tony knows what he is doing."

"But Gibbs –"

"I think –"

"I suppose –"

They were interrupted by Jimmy voice. "Hey!"

Surprised, they all turned to him. Jimmy looked nervous, but determined. "Uh, yeah. What I want to say is – well, Tony's a good guy, you know? And Ziva, um, don't kill me or anything, but he's not being selfish. As far as I know, he's barely slept since Agent Gibbs was kidnapped, and he was telling Dr. Mallard about these nightmares, and I think he knows that Agent Gibbs is safe in the hospital, so now instead of being focused on him, for once Tony's doing what he needs to do for himself."

Ducky smiled and nodded in approval. "Well said, Mr. Palmer. We may all be a little too emotionally involved in this particular situation." He looked over at Ziva, who appeared to be thinking things over.

McGee nodded in agreement. "I think you're right, Jimmy. We've all been pretty focused on finding Gibbs, and it couldn't have been easy for Tony to be in charge of team while he was so worried about him."

"Indeed," Ducky said. "If Director Vance had known of their relationship, he would have pulled Tony off the case."

Jimmy frowned. "But if he had, chances are Agent Gibbs would have died. Tony said he barely got there in time."

Ziva nodded thoughtfully. "All the more reason to make sure the Director does not find out." She looked at them all, smiling at Jimmy. "And you are right, Jimmy… Tony is a good guy, although sometimes it is hard to remember that." She pulled out her cell and fired off a quick text.

Ducky sighed as he looked around the room. "I am afraid that Mr. Palmer and I must get back to our guests."

McGee nodded. "And we have work to do… just need to pick up that autopsy report on Johnson."

Jimmy hurried over to Ducky's desk and gave it to him, and then everyone headed back to work.

Tony's cell beeped just as he was about to start up his car for the drive to the airport. He flipped it open and saw a notification of a text from Ziva. After surveying the parking lot to make sure she wasn't charging toward him, he called up the text, then smiled at the single word.

'_Shalom.'_


	2. Escape

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed and alerted following chapter 1… as always, the encouragement is fantastic! Unfortunately, posting again this quickly will not be the norm. _

_This one's from a request by Gloworm41… chapter 34 of FIO started with Gibbs being returned to his room in the hospital following his attempt to escape. It was later revealed that Tony helped him plan out his adventure. Here's the escape attempt, from planning through execution._

**Escape**

**The Planning**

Tony sat on a folding chair on the beach, watching the water and the bikinis. It was a comfortably warm day for late May, enough that there were plenty of bikinis on the beach, but not enough for said bikinis to go in the water. He had his sunblock and his book and was enjoying being rather mindless. The bikinis and the bodies in them were fun to observe, but he had no interest in doing anything beyond that. For the first time in his life, he was truly one hundred percent committed to someone, and he found that really did kill his interest in anything else.

There was one woman who kept eyeing him, a beautiful brunette with a lot of curves and only a little bikini. He was careful to just give her a polite smile and nothing more, keeping his sunglasses on so that she couldn't really see what he was looking at. He had no interest in encouraging her, and he found that the idea of flirting wasn't nearly so much fun without being able to anticipate comments from McGee and Ziva or head slaps from Jethro. It wasn't always easy, though, especially when she'd made a point of walking right in front of him several times already. He knew that B.J. (Before Jethro) he'd probably already have gotten her up to his room, but he wasn't regretting this change in lifestyle in any way whatsoever.

Tony's cell phone rang; it was the opening notes for the theme from Jaws. He picked it up and flipped it open. "Hey, Jeth! How are you doing? Have you killed any of the nurses yet?"

"_Nurses are all still alive, but I think I chased away the one who gave me the sponge bath."_

"Excellent. I didn't want to have to fight her for you."

"_Wish you would. Could make things more exciting around here."_

"Aww. Is 'oo bored?"

The ensuing silence on the other end dragged out for just a little too long.

"Uh… Jeth? You there?"

"_I swear, DiNozzo, you baby talk at me again and I'll head slap you through this phone."_

"Got it, Boss."

There was a loud sigh.

"_So, what are you doing?"_

"Sitting on the beach, wearing almost nothing, attracting a lot of attention, looking, no touching."

"_Ah."_

"I'm serious about that last one… you know that, right?"

"_Yeah, Tony. I know."_

"Okay, good. So, I could describe some of the gorgeous women out here for you, might make you less bored." He looked over at the brunette, who had moved close enough to listen in to his side of the conversation and was apparently engaged in stretching exercises. She met his eyes and smiled; he grinned back, then mentally head slapped himself for giving her an opening.

"_Let me guess… there's one close enough to hear what you're saying."_

"Uh… yeah. How'd you know?"

"_You always did flirt more when you had an audience."_

"You paid attention to my flirting before we got together?" A glance at the brunette showed her eyes narrowing as she looked at him; the look she shot him next was positively predatory. "Oh, crap," he muttered.

"_Well, yeah, Tony… it was so blatant, I didn't have much choice. And why crap?"_

"I think I just became a challenge."

"_I could come down there and fight her for you."_

"Now that would be awesome. I think you could take her." He grinned again at the brunette, who smiled back. He moved the phone slightly away from his face, keeping it close enough for Jethro to hear him, and said, "My boyfriend is offering to fight you for me. I warn you, though, he's a Marine." He could hear Jethro's surprised laugh over the phone.

The smile disappeared from her face. "You're joking."

"'Fraid not."

"Can I talk to him?"

Tony's eyes widened, then he smiled. "She wants to talk to you, Jethro."

"_Tony…"_

Tony held the phone out to her. "Here you go."

She took it gingerly, clearly surprised. "Umm… hello?"

There was a pause while she listened to whatever Jethro said. She laughed suddenly. "Is he really gay?"

Another short pause, and she laughed again. "You must be really something, Jethro." She handed the phone back to Tony, smiled at him, then went back to her things and started to gather them up. Tony brought the phone to his ear while he watched her.

"What the heck did you say to her?"

"_I'll never tell."_

"I'm hurt. You were clearly more charming to her than you've been to me so far."

"_You want charming, get back here and make me less bored."_

The brunette, possessions in hand, scanned the beach and set off for a spot near a small group of men some distance away. Tony watched her leave for a few seconds, then refocused on his conversation.

"Can you really do charming?"

"_Been married four times. What do you think?"_

"Point. You could watch tv."

"_Done that."_

"No visitors? No Abby, Ducky, McGee, Ziva?"

"_Good job, Tony, you remember their names."_

"Sarcasm is not an incentive for me to help you."

"_Ducky was here earlier this morning, but he had to go in to work. Brucker's double homicide turned into a triple. Maybe more."_

"You're jealous, aren't you?"

"_Maybe a little. Wouldn't be so much if I wasn't stuck here."_

"What about puzzles? You know, crosswords or something."

There was silence again, and Tony laughed. "You scared away the volunteers that hand out those books and things, didn't you?"

"_It's your fault I'm bored, Tony. Give me something to work with."_

"Well, if you're that bored, maybe you should try to leave."

"_Ducky won't clear me, and the doctors here all know him."_

"So, put those sniper moves to good use and sneak out."

There was a momentary silence; when Jethro spoke next, Tony could hear the smile in his voice. _"Perfect. I knew you were my senior field agent for a reason."_

"Ah, wait. What?"

"_You're going to help me put together an escape plan."_

"You're not serious. Ducky will lecture you and kill me."

"_I'm serious, Tony. What do you remember about the layout of my floor?"_

"Really, Jeth? C'mon… if Ducky doesn't kill me, Abby will."

Jethro's tone turned wheedling. _"Tony… if you help me, I'll do something special for you."_

Tony sat up straight. "Oh, yeah? Like what?"

"_You must have a fantasy or two we could indulge in. When I'm better, of course."_

"Of course," Tony said absently. His brain had kicked into high gear, and he started running a whole bunch of possibilities through his head. "Are the leather cuffs on the table?"

Jethro laughed. _"You really have a thing for those, don't you?"_

"More like I have a thing for cuffing you, Jeth. Think about it… powerful Marine sniper, the boss of all bosses, tied up, helpless…"

Jethro cleared his throat. _"Yeah, I think the cuffs could be in play. Gotta get me out of here, though."_

"Now _that_ is what I call incentive. I'll go back up to my room, draft out what I remember of the layout, call you back. You do an inventory of all your stuff in the meantime."

"_Sounds good, Tony."_ Tony heard the beep indicating the call was ended. "Damn, Jeth… your phone manners improved for everyone but me?" Grinning, he threw on a shirt, gathered his things and set off for his room.

Once there, he sat down and started sketching out what he could remember about the layout of the floor near Jethro's room. He also diagrammed the front entrance, then used his laptop and the wifi connection in his room to see if he could call up any plans for the building. He had no luck there, but he did get some pictures off the hospital website.

That done, he made a list of the things he thought Jethro would need if he was to get past the nurses. Then he called Jethro's cell.

"_You ready, Tony?"_

"I'm ready. You all set for your briefing?"

"_Hit me."_

"Kinky, Jeth."

"_Ha. C'mon Tony, don't have all day."_

"Sure you do… isn't that why we're doing this?"

"_Yeah, you've got a point. Shoot."_

"Okay – your room is the first one around the corner from the nurse's station. Turn right out from your room, nurses are down the hall on the right, across the hall, and the stairs just a little way to your left, same side. Shouldn't be too hard to sneak out there, assuming you're outfitted correctly."

"_That could be a problem."_

"What ya got?"

"_Got shoes. Ducky took my clothes with him."_

"Pre-emptive strike, huh?"

"_He knows me too well."_

"Not as well as I do."

"_Very true."_

"So you only have those hospital gowns?"

"_Yup."_

"The ones that open in the back?"

"_Uh huh."_

"Convenient."

"_Focus, Tony."_

"Gotcha, Boss! So, you need better clothes or you'll stand out."

"_Mmm hmm."_

"There's a closet on the far side of the nurse's station. Could be some scrubs in there."

"_Not gonna be easy to get past them."_

"That's where your sniper skills come in. Mount a diversion, get into position."

"_Yeah? Where'd you pick that up?"_

"History Channel."

"_Huh. Nice job, Tony."_

"Thanks!"

"_So, once I get to the stairwell?"_

"You're on the third floor… security station in the lobby has a clear view of the stairwell. If that stairwell goes down to the garage level, you can probably get out that way. You know, we could contact McGee, get him to find a floor plan somewhere online."

"_Nah, makes it too easy. We've got the basics of a working plan."_

"Uh, you're not going to let Ducky or Abby know that I helped, are you?

"_What's the matter, Tony? Is 'oo afwaid?"_

"Ha, ha, funny, Jethro. They can be pretty scary, you know?"

"_Your secret is safe with me, Tony."_ There was a short pause. _"You getting what you need down there?"_

"Yeah, I think maybe I am. Thanks for not minding too much."

"_Don't mind at all, Tony. Need you back on your game."_

"Don't worry, Jeth. I'll be ready to go back to work."

"_I know that, Tony. Not talking about work."_

Tony smiled. "You've got me, Jeth."

"_Good to know."_ Jethro was quiet for a moment, then cleared his throat. _"Guess I'll get things in motion."_

"Hold on… you need one more thing."

"_What's that?"_

"The right attitude – you go marching around looking grim, someone's going to get suspicious. Especially since you won't have an ID badge. Smile occasionally, meet people's eyes, that sort of thing."

"_I have done undercover work before, you know." _

"Yeah, but it's been a while."

"_I'll take it under advisement."_

"Let me know how it goes."

"_Of course."_

**The Execution**

Gibbs put his cell down on the small nightstand and listened to the noises from the hallway. It was fairly quiet for a change, which could work in his favor… or make him more noticeable. He slid out of bed and stood up, wincing a little as he felt the stitches pull a bit. The injury didn't hurt much unless he moved the wrong way.

He found his sneakers under the chair near the bed. He put them on and instantly knew he looked ridiculous. He could practically hear Tony making fashion comments. Smiling slightly, he grabbed the flimsy ties to the hospital gown and tied it closed as best he could. _Can't understand why they go out of their way to demoralize the patients. _He looked at his cell and hesitated; no pockets, and he might need both hands. Besides, if his phone was sitting there, anyone going in might think he was coming right back.

Moving quietly and as quickly as his injured side allowed, he went to the open door and peered cautiously out. One of the nurses was wheeling a cart down the hall to his left; she appeared to be counting pills or something, and was fairly focused on the task at hand. The intersection with the main hallway was just to his right; he listened again, hearing very little except for the noises of various machines and the phone ringing at the nurses' station. Another glance at the nurse with the cart; she had her back to him and was preparing to go into one of the rooms. He moved silently to his right and glanced around the corner. _This would feel more natural if I had my gun._

Luck was on his side. No one to the right, just one nurse in sight at the station. No one to the left either; the door to the stairwell was tempting, but he wouldn't get far in his current get up. There was an alarmed emergency exit at the end of the hall (_why put an emergency exit practically next to the stairwell?_) and next to that a couple of wheelchairs sat idle. That gave him an idea. Another glance to his right, and he watched as an orderly came toward him, then turned to his right and went down another hallway. The nurse he could see was laughing about something, so he guessed there was another nurse out of sight.

A quick glance behind him showed the nurse with the cart still moving away from him. Another check around the corner to his right, then he moved quickly to the left toward the wheelchairs. He stumbled slightly as the pain in his side flared up a bit, but pushed through it.

Gibbs reached the chairs and ducked down behind one of them, taking stock. The same orderly came around the corner a second later, moving in his direction, then turned left down the hall. Gibbs looked down and started slightly as he saw a hand poking out from under a sheet. Closer inspection showed it to be plastic. He lifted the sheet and saw several CPR dummies stacked on the bottom shelf of a storage unit sitting next to the wheelchairs. A check of the rest of the unit revealed a stack of hospital gowns.

Within moments, Gibbs had one of the CPR dummies covered in a hospital gown and sitting in a wheelchair. He pushed the chair slowly forward, glancing down the hall to his right and seeing the cart but no nurse. Moving a little faster, he drew even with the hallway the orderly had come from. No one there, just the sound of a loud television. He could hear two female voices coming from the back of the nurses' station.

Gibbs took a deep breath then held it, trying to steady the muscles in his side… this was going to hurt a bit. He wheeled the chair back and forth a few times, gauging its ability to go in a straight line. Then he drew it back, let out a yell, and pushed the chair forward as hard as he could, hissing slightly at the pain.

He couldn't believe his luck; the dummy stayed upright and the chair went careening down the hall. Loud exclamations from the nurses were followed by the sound of running feet. He moved quickly to the side and peered around the corner to see two nurses running after the chair. One of them was calling out, "Mr. Hughes! Mr. Hughes, you come back here! We warned you last time – you'll lose television privileges!"

It was all Gibbs could do not to laugh, although the ache in his side helped with that. He moved quickly past the now empty nurses' station and to the closet door Tony had told him about; it opened easily and he slipped inside, closing the door behind him.

_I did it, Tony… diversion done, in position._

He found the light switch by feel, and looked around quickly. Again, his luck held. There were green scrubs piled on a shelf. He dug through them, finding a set that looked like it would fit. He ripped off the hospital gown and stood there for a moment, wearing nothing but sneakers. He imagined Tony's hysterical laughter if he had to tell him that someone walked in right then, but no one did. Moments later, he had the scrubs on and was ready for the next stage of the plan.

He switched off the light in the closet and stood listening. Voices were getting louder, and he could make out the sound of the wheelchair. "But who would do this? Bella Abrams would be the obvious choice –"

"Yes, but she left two days ago."

"Maybe Stan Hutchins in 316… he likes attention."

"He'd be here bragging that he did it."

"Well, I'm at a loss."

The voices faded a bit, and Gibbs guessed that they were taking the chair and the dummy back to where he'd found them. He cracked open the door, then quickly stepped out and moved toward the stairwell. Just as he drew even with the counter, another nurse came around the corner. He immediately grabbed the nearest clipboard and stood contemplating it.

"Hi, Doctor."

He glanced up to see a very young, unfamiliar nurse smiling shyly at him.

_Channel DiNozzo._

He grinned at her. "They just keep making you nurses younger and prettier, don't they?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized they could definitely be taken the wrong way, but instead of getting offended, she blushed and giggled.

"Can I help you with anything, Doctor…?"

He put the clipboard down and reached out to take her hand. "McGee, Tim McGee. Very nice to meet you," he glanced at her ID tag "Annette." He maintained eye contact, willing her not to notice his lack of an ID. "No help needed, but you sure brightened my day."

She smiled and blushed again. Gibbs gave her his most devil-may-care grin, then set off purposefully toward the stairwell door. The other two nurses nodded to him as he passed, though one of them did give him a slightly puzzled second glance. He thought he remembered her bringing him his dinner last night.

A moment later he was through the door and in the stairwell. Gibbs stood there for a moment, assessing the dull ache in his side, before moving carefully down the stairs. He made it all the way to the ground floor without running into anyone; presumably most people preferred the elevator. The stairwell ended there, so going down to the garage wasn't an option.

Gibbs looked through the window into the lobby. The security guard was relaxed but alert; Gibbs had no doubt he'd notice the lack of an ID if he saw him exit the stairs. As he watched, the guard picked up the phone at his station and listened attentively, then hung up and stood quickly, surveying the lobby. _Damn, they missed me quicker than I expected._

A grey haired man around Gibbs' age moved through his field of view, and the security guard set off after him. Gibbs took the opportunity to exit the stairwell and quickly scanned the various signs, looking for some indication of the service entrance. After a moment he set off for a door marked 'Authorized Personnel Only.' He ended up in a wide hallway, with various carts along the wall. At the end of the hall was another door leading to the outside. Grinning, Gibbs headed for that door, only to be brought up short when another door near it opened and a male nurse stepped through. He spotted Gibbs immediately and grinned at him. "Gotcha!"

Gibbs turned sharply, grunting a little as his side protested, then stopped abruptly and stared up at another male nurse, about four inches taller than he was. The man reached out and grasped Gibbs' shoulder. "Back to bed with you."

Gibbs sighed, defeated. The first nurse caught up to him. "You know, Dr. Mallard warned us that you'd probably try something like this."

_Ah well. At least I'm not bored anymore. _

**The Debriefing**

Gibbs was trying to be interested in the late movie on tv when his cell phone rang. He picked it up and looked at it – _DiNozzo_.

"Hey."

"_Hey, Jeth. Just wanted to let you know I'm back at your place."_

"Good."

"_Want me to pick up anything in particular for food?"_

"Nah. Whatever you get will be fine."

"'_Kay. Umm…"_

"What?"

"_So, uh… you didn't manage to get out, huh?"_

"Told you that earlier."

"_Well, yeah, but you didn't give me many details. C'mon, tell me a bedtime story."_

Jethro smiled and recounted his adventure. As expected, Tony was impressed by the diversion with the dummy and the wheelchair, and laughed hysterically at the idea of Gibbs naked in the closet with sneakers on.

"_Damn, Jeth! I wish I could have seen all that."_

Jethro chuckled. "It was fun."

"_I bet. I have one question, though."_

"Only one?"

"_Uh… since you didn't get out, does that mean…"_

"Deal was the cuffs for a successful escape."

"_Oh, man… you almost got out!"_

"So you can almost cuff me."

"_I can't believe this. It's a tremendous let down, you know."_

"You'll live. Just think, the anticipation will make it better. Or you could go back to the beach and cuff that girl."

"_I'd rather wait for the good stuff."_

"Smart man."

"_Good night, Jeth… looking forward to seeing you tomorrow."_

"Yeah, Tony – me too."


	3. Seeking Jethro

_Apologies for taking so long – I was trying to write a different scene and just couldn't get it to come together the way I wanted. So I shelved it for now and wrote this one instead. _

_This is a request from yasminakohl, who asked for Shannon's perspective on finding Gibbs in chapter 29 of FIO. Gibbs had been kidnapped by Paul Johnson and was slated to die as part of Johnson's 'art'. The team couldn't find him, and as a last resort Tony did some research on ghosts and thought Shannon might be attached to Gibbs in some way, could find him, and could let Tony know where he was. The conversations between Shannon and Tony and Shannon and Gibbs are taken from chapters 28 and 29; the dialogue is the same, but the perspective is shifted._

_Disclaimer here – this description of an afterlife is purely out of my imagination and does not represent any sort of religious belief on my part, although it may be a bit of wishful thinking. It's not meant to offend anyone's beliefs in any way. _

**Seeking Jethro **

Shannon hid behind a tree and watched as Kelly stood with her eyes closed and counted to fifty. When Kelly's eyes opened and she ran off in the opposite direction from Shannon's hiding place, Shannon put her hand over her mouth to stop her giggles. Being eight again was way too much fun.

One of the really great things about the afterlife was that you could be any age you wanted. Sometimes, like now, Shannon would be Kelly's age and they would play together. Sometimes Kelly would make herself as old as Shannon. The first time she did it, Shannon cried to see her daughter grown up and wished Jethro could be there to see how beautiful she turned out to be. Kelly didn't do it often; she said it felt weird because she'd never been so tall in life. But she was excited to show her dad someday, and Tony too. She would often ask Shannon if she thought Jethro and Tony would want to play with them as kids; Shannon had a feeling that Tony would love it, but that it might take some convincing to get Jethro to do it too. Kelly insisted that if Tony did it her dad would too, and Shannon smiled at the thought of Jethro being happy… for a while it had seemed as if he'd never let himself really love anyone again.

_The past -_

Dying hadn't been bad at all; it had happened so fast, neither she nor Kelly had time to be scared or feel any pain. They'd both been so overwhelmed by everything new that it had been a few… well, days, she supposed, although there weren't really days here, not like before… that she was ashamed to admit that she hadn't thought too much about Jethro. She'd missed him, but she hadn't realized how much until she'd felt a strange pull, as if there was somewhere she had to be. Kelly had felt it too.

Their guide, a lovely young woman named Julie, had suddenly appeared with a very serious look on her face. "Shannon, you're needed."

"I don't understand. Needed for what? And why do I feel so strange?"

Julie approached and laid her hand on Shannon's arm. "You feel that pull we all feel when a loved one is thinking strongly about us. Your husband needs you."

Shannon's eyes filled with tears. "Jethro? Is he alright?"

Julie shook her head. "You need to go to him, or he'll end up joining you well before he should."

Shannon's eyes widened and she started to panic. "But what can I do? Can I talk to him?"

Julie started to speak, then shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. Some of us can get through, sometimes. No one's been able to teach anyone else how, though, so I don't know how it works. We all have to figure it out for ourselves."

Shannon threw her arms up, exasperated. "So how can I help him, then?"

Julie shook her head. "That depends on your relationship with him in life. You might not be able to talk to him, but you'll probably be able to let him know how you feel. That could be enough."

Kelly moved forward. "I feel something too. Can I go?"

Julie knelt down and took Kelly's hand. "You shouldn't, sweetheart. Not this time."

"How come?"

"Because your mom might not be able to stop your dad from doing something he shouldn't." Julie looked up at Shannon and met her eyes for a moment, then looked back at Kelly. "And you shouldn't see what could happen, because you'd be upset with your dad for a while if you did."

Shannon felt cold inside. "Julie. How do I get to him?"

Julie stood up, still holding Kelly's hand. "That pull you feel? Give into it. Let go of the body you have here, and follow the pull. You'll be with him… you'll be spirit only, so you won't be able to touch or affect anything on that side. But you can feel things there, emotionally… and most of us can project those emotions pretty well. Maybe it will be enough."

Shannon nodded, then looked from Kelly to Julie. "You'll stay with her?"

Julie smiled. "Of course." She looked down at Kelly. "Want to go watch the dinosaurs again?"

Kelly shook her head. "I want to see the little horses – Eohippus, right?"

Julie laughed. "They are cuter than the dinos, huh?"

Kelly nodded and smiled, but then looked seriously at Shannon. "Go help Daddy, Mom! I wish I could go too." The expression on Kelly's face told Shannon she understood a bit more about what was going on than perhaps she should.

Shannon nodded. "You go see the horses, Kells. I'll meet you back here soon."

Kelly and Julie vanished. Shannon ran her hand through her hair, then breathed deeply and closed her eyes. She focused on that internal pull, suddenly visualizing it as if it were a rope. She imagined grabbing on to that rope, then felt a peculiar wrench. A moment of disorientation later, and she realized she was on a familiar beach. They'd vacationed here together, toasted marshmallows, rode horses… she turned around, which felt very strange given that she had no body, and saw Jethro sitting on some driftwood, holding a gun in his hands, with the muzzle pointing up at his own face.

"NO!"

Shannon flung herself forward. "Jethro, don't! Please, not like this!"

Jethro gave no indication that he was aware of her presence. She watched helplessly as a tear moved down his face, followed by another one. His hands tightened a bit on the gun.

"Damn it, Jethro!" As much as she loved him, as much as she wanted him to be with her, she didn't want him to die before his time. She reached out to grab the gun, another strange sensation, but of course with no body she couldn't touch it.

Jethro shook his head slowly and spoke quietly. "I'm so sorry, Shannon. I should have been there." His hands shook a bit, and his eyes closed. "Kelly…" The tears came faster now, and he shifted his grip on the gun.

Shannon cried out wordlessly, and in desperation flung everything she could at him… everything she felt. Love for him, pride in his accomplishments, anger that he would even think for a second that suicide was the answer, exasperation that he would blame himself for their deaths when he'd been half a world away.

Jethro sat up abruptly, eyes wide, and the gun fell from his hands. "Shannon?" He got to his feet and ran a few steps, turning wildly as he tried to find her.

Shannon moved forward, right next to him, projecting as much love and caring as she could.

Jethro let out a cry like a wounded animal, then fell to his knees in the sand, covering his face with his hands as he finally cried his heart out for his lost family.

Shannon suddenly felt another pull, then found herself back where she had been. Kelly was sitting on the grass with another little girl, one they had met before. They were making a wreath out of daisies. She saw Shannon and waved, then said something to the other girl, Theresa, Shannon remembered, and they started to giggle. Julie stood nearby and smiled at Shannon.

Shannon gaped at Julie for a moment, then asked, "Did it work? Is he okay?" Her voice shook a bit.

Julie got to her feet and reached out to hug Shannon. "He'll be alright now. He finally let himself express his grief. He felt what you did, and he'll be able to remember that in the future. They… I don't think he'll try that again."

Shannon pulled back, wiping the tears off her cheeks. "They?"

Julie grinned. "You don't have proper clearance yet."

Shannon rolled her eyes, then abruptly sat on the ground, suddenly exhausted. "Why am I so tired?"

Julie sat next to her. "It takes energy to be on that side. The first few times you go there, you get tired easily. You'll build endurance over time."

Shannon nodded, then looked over at Kelly. "She's not asking about him."

Julie nodded. "Just before you returned, she looked at me and said 'Daddy's fine now.' Then she went back to playing with Theresa… we ran into her while we were watching the Eohippus."

Shannon nodded again. "Julie… why aren't I grieving his loss the way he's grieving mine?"

Julie sighed. "The transition from there to here is difficult. They help us out by suppressing those stronger emotions for a little while. You're aware of what you've lost, but you don't focus on it so much. By the time they take down those barriers, you've accepted that you've moved on, and you can grieve too."

Shannon sighed, then stood. "I was feeling guilty that I wasn't more upset at losing him."

Julie smiled. "You didn't lose him. You're just separated for a little while. And now that you've followed the pull, you can go back and see him again whenever you want." Julie dropped her gaze for a moment and Shannon watched as her expression turned sad. "We have it easier than they do."

_The present –_

Shannon thought she heard her name and turned around, but there was no one there. She peered around the tree just in time to see Kelly pop up in front of her. Startled she jumped backwards and then fell to the ground. Kelly collapsed next to her and both little girls lay on the grass giggling hysterically.

_Shannon!_

There it was again. Shannon shifted from her eight year old body to her 'regular' one, the age she'd been when she'd died.

Kelly sat up. "Mom, I think Tony's calling you!"

Shannon nodded. "Yeah. I'd better go see what he wants. You'll be good while I'm gone?"

Kelly rolled her eyes and gave her a look that was so Jethro, it made Shannon smile. "I can't actually get into trouble here, remember? I'll find Theresa and we'll go watch the pyramids being built."

"Sounds good, Kells."

Kelly vanished, and Shannon closed her eyes, finding herself in Jethro's basement a moment later. Tony was pacing around; he looked tired and frantic.

"Tony?"

Tony's head came up and he looked around. "Shannon? Thank God."

"Tony, what's wrong?"

"It's Gibbs… Jethro. He's disappeared. Got taken by that creepy guy I told you about. We can't find him, and I'm worried that time's running out. I need your help."

Shannon felt cold inside. As much as she wanted to be reunited with Jethro someday, she also wanted him to live a full life. "You said he was locked up, that Jethro was safe."

Tony grimaced. "I know. He was. But there was an accident, and he got away, and then he ambushed Jethro at a crime scene. That was two days ago."

Shannon rolled her non-existent eyes but couldn't quell the uneasy feeling."I see. Poor Jethro. He never was very good at taking care of himself. But I don't understand… what can I do?"

Tony shifted uncomfortably. "I've been doing a lot of reading online… about ghosts. Sorry."

Shannon suppressed her laughter. Tony seemed to feel that admitting Shannon wasn't alive was a breach of etiquette. "Don't be silly, Tony. It's sort of obvious what I am. Keep going."

"Well… a lot of these sites, they say that ghosts are attached to places or people. And I got to thinking… if you're attached to Jethro, you could find him. You could go to him, then tell me how to get there."

Shannon was slightly taken aback. Whenever she'd looked in on Jethro, it had been because he'd been thinking about her or talking to her as if she were there… on the rare occasions she'd crossed back over to see him on her own initiative it had always been here in the basement. She'd been hesitant to intrude; after she'd helped stop him from killing himself out of suppressed grief, she'd wanted to let him live out his life. "I don't know. I don't know if I'm attached to him or not."

"Are you stuck here, in the basement?"

Shannon smiled at that. She and Kelly had recently been in Times Square to watch the celebrations at the end of World War II. "No… no, I'm not always here. But I can't tell you where else I go… it's not allowed." Once Shannon had started talking with Jethro, Julie had cautioned her that she couldn't say anything specific about the afterlife. If she did, she'd be blocked from crossing back over. The way Julie had explained it, the living had important things to do, and letting them know too much about what came next could undermine their goals and their lives.

"Okay. Could you try?"

Shannon looked at Tony's face… he was clearly desperate. "I… yes, I guess I could. But I don't know if it will work, Tony. I've never tried to find him anywhere but here before."

"All I ask is that you try."

"Of course, Tony. Wait here." She watched as he sat on the floor next to the workbench, running his hands through his hair and then leaning back, staring up at the ceiling. His jaw clenched; it was clear he was fighting back some strong emotions.

_Enough of this… Jethro needs my help._

Unsure of where to start, Shannon returned to the other side. She was back in the meadow that she and Kelly referred to as their base camp… Kelly loved to use anything that smacked of military terminology. There was no sign of Kelly or Theresa – they could still be at the pyramids, or might have decided to go somewhere else. Shannon wasn't worried; Kelly had promised never to try to cross over without her, after they'd talked about Jethro and decided Kelly visiting him might be too difficult for him to handle. Kelly had been Shannon's age at the time, which had made it easier for her to understand why she shouldn't go.

Shannon ran her hands through her hair, unconsciously mimicking Tony's gesture. She wasn't sure how to find Jethro, so she decided to just think about him, remember everything about their lives together. The memories came fast and clear, much sharper than they'd been when she'd been alive. She remembered the first time she saw him in Stillwater, their first kiss (he'd been so nervous), the first time she headslapped him… suddenly she remembered their wedding in vivid detail. She felt tears on her face and reached up to wipe them away – then felt the familiar pull and shift, and opened nonexistent eyes to find herself in the passenger seat of a large SUV. She was in a warehouse of some kind… she turned to look next to her and saw Jethro in the driver's seat.

He was tied to the steering wheel by the wrists, and he was obviously working on the ropes, trying to free his hands, glancing over at the passenger seat with a puzzled look on his face. He looked pale and tired, but Shannon forgot that as soon as she saw all the blood. It looked like he was covered in it.

"Jethro? Oh God, Jethro… what's happened to you?"

"Shannon?" The shocked look on his face almost made her laugh.

Almost. This really wasn't funny.

"God, Jethro… what has he done to you?" She tried but couldn't keep from almost crying.

Jethro blinked rapidly and made an aborted move toward the sound of her voice; bound as he was, he couldn't get far. "I'm okay, Shan. He cut me up a bit, but it's all superficial."

Shannon looked at all the blood and really wanted to give him a head slap. "Doesn't look it."

Jethro smiled a bit. "How did you find me?"

Shannon tamped down her irritation at his attempt to deflect her attention._ That's two head slaps I owe him. _"I don't really know. After Tony came to talk to me –"

"Tony? Where is he?"

"In the basement, waiting for me to come back. I guess they couldn't find you, and he thought maybe I could."

"What… how?"

"He said he did some research on ghosts. He thought I might be attached to you, and could find you and tell him where you are. I didn't know if it would work, but I thought about you, and then here I was." Shannon wished she could touch him… she wanted nothing more than to caress his face, let him know everything would be alright. She watched as his expression changed; he was clearly getting into military mode… or maybe it was investigative… she wasn't sure, as he'd not started working for NCIS until after her death.

"Can you get enough information about the area to take back to him?"

Shannon thought about that. She'd have to go outside, look for landmarks. Julie had warned her once that exposure to the sun would weaken her faster than if she stayed inside. "I think so. It won't be easy, but I can do it."

"Atta girl." Jethro grinned, and Shannon grinned back as she remembered the special meaning that phrase had for the two of them. She watched as his smile faded, and she realized that for a moment he was lost in memories. Jethro cleared his throat. "How is Kelly?" he asked.

Shannon experienced a strange sensation as she tried to shake her head, but didn't have one to shake. "She's fine, and if you don't focus on getting out of here, I'll find a way to head slap you.

She watched as Jethro glanced toward the door of the warehouse, and started working at the rope, twisting and pulling with his wrist, hissing a bit as rubbed the raw skin. He paused for a moment and glanced in her direction. "Can you help?"

For a moment Shannon wished the afterlife were more like it was in that movie with Patrick Swayze, where ghosts could learn to manipulate solid objects. "I wish I could. I've never managed to move anything physically here. I tried once, when one of those exes hit you with the golf club, but I couldn't do it."

She remembered feeling the familiar pull and crossing over to see Jethro in the basement, looking at that picture of her. He'd looked so sad and a little lost; she'd projected her own emotions to him, and he'd smiled as he felt her love. Just then the soon-to-be-ex-wife had come down the stairs, obviously already upset about something, and seen him smiling at the picture. She'd started yelling at Jethro, who'd looked up, startled. She'd run at him, furious and crying, reaching out for the picture, which Jethro had quickly put down in the drawer, slamming it shut to keep her from destroying it. She'd turned on him instead, slapping him across the face once, after which he'd grabbed her arm to keep her from doing it again. She'd backed away and he'd let go immediately, which turned out to be a mistake as she reached for the set of golf clubs propped nearby against the workbench, grabbing one and swinging it at him. He'd dodged. Shannon, who'd been shocked into stillness, had tried to place herself in between Jethro and the club; it had passed right through her, making her shiver at the strangeness of that feeling.

The club had connected with Jethro's head and he'd gone down hard. His wife had gasped in horror, dropped the club, then turned and run upstairs. Shannon could hear her calling for an ambulance, but was more focused on Jethro, who was holding the side of his head and then looking at the blood on his hand. He sighed quietly and slumped back against the workbench, closing his eyes. Shannon had never seen him look so defeated. A few minutes later, the wife came back downstairs. Shannon tried to pick up the golf club to physically defend Jethro if necessary… of course she couldn't touch it. The wife quietly told Jethro she'd called for an ambulance, then just stood there looking at him. She didn't apologize. Jethro looked back at her, and just as quietly told her he wouldn't press charges. She'd nodded and thanked him. He'd looked at her for a moment, then said, "I guess it's over." She'd nodded again. They could hear the sirens, and the wife had gone upstairs to wait for the paramedics. Shannon had stayed in the basement with Jethro until they came, and then she waited until they said he'd be alright but should go to the hospital to get checked out. The wife hadn't come back down.

Pulling herself back to the present, Shannon watched as Jethro nodded and resumed working on the rope. It was almost loose enough to squeeze his hands through. "That's okay. What you've already done is more than enough."

Shannon knew it would never feel like it was enough. She knew the only way she could really help was to let Tony know where Jethro was, but she didn't want to leave him alone. "I should get the information Tony needs and go back… but I don't want to leave you. What if the man who did this comes back?" Then she felt a little silly, because it wasn't as if she could actually do anything if Jethro's tormentor did return.

She watched as Jethro managed to pull his hands free. He sat back for a moment, flexing his fingers, then reached down and slipped his fingers behind his belt, pulling a small knife free. Within moments, he had his wrists freed and had cut through the ropes binding his legs. He looked over in her direction, giving her a small smile. "I think I've got it covered, Shan."

Shannon let both her relief and her amusement show in her voice. "You always did like to be in charge, Jethro. I'll go back now. I think Tony will be here soon." She tried hard not to notice how much his hands were shaking, reminding herself that the only thing she could do for him was to go get help.

Jethro hesitated, then said, "Shan… I love you."

If Shannon had a body at that moment, she'd have started crying. "I love you, Jethro."

Jethro looked nervous and a little guilty, which also made him look a lot younger. "And… I also love Tony. Maybe not quite in the same way, but – maybe just as much."

Shannon tried to project love and support. "I know that, silly. If you're worried that I'm upset about you and Tony, you need to give yourself a head slap. Didn't I say that you should go after him?" All she wanted right now was for Jethro to get out of this alive and for him to be happy. Tony seemed to have a better chance of making him happy than all the ex-wives and girlfriends combined.

Jethro smiled slightly. "Yeah, you did. And I did."

"So what's the problem? It's a rule, you know… I forget the number, but it goes like this: Jethro should be happy. You've been breaking that one for a long time now." _And I've been watching you break it for too long… I wish you'd understand how important it is to really live this life of yours._

"I'll try to stop."

"You do that. See you back in the basement, Jethro." Shannon knew she needed to get moving… not only because Jethro needed to get himself safe until Tony could get there, but also because she had no idea how long she could stay on this side. She really was making it up as she went along.

"Shannon – wait."

"What is it, Jeth?"

"Shan… just in case something goes wrong… tell Tony – tell Tony about what I just told you. And… tell him I'm sorry. For not getting out, and for not waiting for him back at the scene."

No way was she going to encourage him to wallow in guilt now. Tony would deal with him later… she had a feeling Jethro was in for one heck of a head slap. "Tell him yourself when you see him."

Shannon forced herself to leave him, only vaguely aware of his efforts to get out of the car as she moved toward the warehouse door. She could see the sunlight around the edges, and she used that as a target to get outside. Suddenly she found herself in the light, facing the building. It was incredibly bright; there was no pain, but she felt as if all her energy was draining out her nonexistent feet and into the ground. If she'd had a body she'd have staggered and fallen.

Somehow she pushed or pulled or did something to move up into the air. She guessed she was levitating, or maybe flying… _better not think about how I'm doing this, or I'll be like the centipede in the fable who tried to explain how he walked with so many legs and then couldn't walk anymore. Or however it went._

She was able to get high enough to count five buildings… no people or cars anywhere. A sign on the warehouse where Jethro was said "Hatfield and Company." A loud buzzing noise caught her attention, and she saw a small plane approaching a runway at a little airport nearby. _That has to be enough… I can't stay here much longer._

She thought of Tony waiting for her in the basement, and suddenly she was there. She wasn't very with it during the ensuing conversation… she knew she was telling Tony about the landmarks and about Jethro, but it felt as if half of her was back in the meadow. She was vaguely aware of Tony running for the stairs as she crossed back over.

She found herself lying in the grass, Kelly and Julie next to her. Kelly looked worried, but relaxed as soon as Shannon looked at her and asked if the pyramids were cool. "Is Daddy okay?"

Shannon looked over to Julie, whose eyes went unfocused for a moment. Julie then looked back at both of them and smiled. "He's alright. Tony got to him in time."

Kelly cheered and got up to do a little dance. "Mom! I can't wait to meet Tony, he's a hero!"

Shannon pushed herself up to a sitting position and smiled. "I think you'll have to wait a long time, if your dad has anything to say about it."

Kelly grinned. "We'll all be a family someday, though, right? You, me, Daddy and Tony?"

Shannon glanced at Julie, who smiled at her. "Lots of families grow bigger than they ever expected over here."

Shannon smiled back. "The afterlife with those two will certainly never get boring."

Julie grinned. "You've barely seen the afterlife. You're just waiting for your soulmates to get here."

Shannon raised an eyebrow. "Soulmates? Plural?"

Julie sat back and tilted her head a bit. "How else do you think you were able to feel that Tony needed to talk to you?"

Shannon laughed.


	4. Chapter 4

_This is probably the last missing scene for a while… I hope to start posting the sequel to Figuring It Out within a few weeks. This one has been requested by several readers, so I hope I've done it justice! Thanks to colorguard28 for a few ideas about subjects of conversation between Abby and McGee. This takes place between chapters 19 and 20 of FIO; in chapter 19, Gibbs and Tony talked to Abby, McGee and Ziva on the phone while those three were staying at Abby's place after the trip to New York. Ziva had been shot in the arm and McGee had a concussion. They were playing poker at the time of the phone call. The next day at work, in chapters 20 and 21, Ziva and McGee both encouraged Tony to talk to an upset Abby. Abby was unhappy with the outcome of her talk with McGee concerning revelations made in chapter 11 – McGee's resentment toward Gibbs for breaking rule 12 to be with Tony when McGee himself had given up on a relationship with Abby because he respected Gibbs' rules._

**Poker Night**

Abby had a huge grin on her face as she hung up the phone. "They are _so_ cute together!"

Ziva smiled indulgently at her. "They are grown men, federal agents. Are you sure that 'cute' is the proper word, Abby?"

Abby wrinkled her nose and pointed at Ziva. "Cute is a subjective term that can be applied to an endless variety of situations, Agent David! They're flirty with each other, they're laughing together – and when was the last time you saw Gibbs laugh?"

Ziva shook her head and smiled, exchanging glances with McGee, who looked thoughtfully at Abby. "I don't know if I've ever seen Gibbs really let loose with an all out laugh."

Abby turned to him, nodding in agreement, then suddenly she gasped and reached out to grab McGee's arm. "You knew!"

"Ah… what?"

Abby hands moved through the air enthusiastically. "You knew! Subconsciously. Your investigative instincts picked up on their souls' connection, and that's why you used the name 'Tibbs' in your book!"

McGee and Ziva stared at her. Then Ziva laughed. "Abby, I do not think McGee coming up with the name Tibbs is so farfetched as to require some sort of psychic insight!"

Abby shook her head, pigtails flying. She opened her mouth to say something, but Ziva stopped her with an upraised hand. "Abby. Consider this… Pimmy Jalmer?"

Mouth still open, Abby narrowed her eyes while McGee rolled his. Then she turned to McGee, closing her mouth, a distinctly disappointed look appearing on her face. "It would have been so cool if you'd been the Tibbs prophet."

McGee really had nothing to say to that.

The poker game continued for a few more hours, until Ziva winced slightly when leaning forward to collect her chips with her one good arm. McGee noticed. "Um, Ziva… you need another pain pill?"

Ziva shook her head. "It is minor, McGee, but thank you."

Abby's head shot up. "Ziva, if you are admitting to any pain at all, it must be bad! Are you sure you don't need anything?"

Ziva smiled and met Abby's eyes. "I am sure, Abby. I think perhaps I should go lie down, though." She rose to her feet as McGee scoffed.

"Sure, quit while you're ahead. If Tony were here, you'd never hear the end of it."

"Ah, but Tony is not here. He is with Gibbs, and I am sure that whatever they are doing, he is having much more fun than he would if he were here."

Silence fell as the three of them contemplated that. Abby smirked at Ziva, who grinned back at her. McGee rolled his eyes. "Do you really have to talk about it?"

Abby's smirk morphed into a glare and her open palm connected with his upper arm.

"Ow, Abby!"

"What's with you, Tim? Since when are you so squeamish about sex?"

Ziva moved away from the table. "That is my cue. Good night, McGee, Abby." She disappeared into the guest bedroom, closing the door behind her.

Abby was still looking at McGee. "So? I know you, Tim, and I know you aren't such a prude."

McGee sighed. "No, I'm not. But thinking about Gibbs and Tony – you know, together – it's weird. I mean, it's Gibbs. It's like thinking about your parents or something."

Abby grimaced. "Yeah, okay, I can see that. Not that it's affecting me that way, 'cause the Silver Fox has always been super hot. Not to mention Tony is such a stud… so the two of them together – you know?"

McGee sighed. "I really think that's something for you to talk about with Ziva."

"Mmm. You have a point." Abby got up and started to gather up the cards and the poker chips. McGee followed suit and began clearing away the snack food. "But, Timmy… I think you should try to tone it down a bit. They're going to get uncomfortable around you if you keep acting like someone's maiden aunt."

McGee rolled his eyes. "I don't think they'll mistake me for anyone's aunt, Abby. Besides, it's fun to give Tony a hard time."

Abby grinned at that. "Yeah, I've never seen him blush as much as he does now."

McGee paused at that. "Hey, why do you think that is?"

Abby shrugged and moved toward the coffee table, placing the cards and the chip container in a drawer. "Maybe because this one really matters to him."

She got back to McGee's side and picked up the remaining bowl of snacks, then headed into the kitchen. McGee followed, his hands full with the other bowls. They worked in companionable silence for a few minutes, putting snacks into storage baggies. McGee finished up and leaned back against the counter, watching Abby clean.

"Why didn't you tell me what Gibbs said, Abby?" His voice was quiet, but she froze as if he'd startled her. She glanced over at him, then asked in an excessively cheery voice, "What Gibbs said about what, when?"

McGee's head dropped a little bit, and he gave her a little humorless smile as he sat at the small kitchen table. "When Gibbs said rule 12 didn't apply to us, Abby. Why didn't you tell me?"

Abby sighed quietly, then put down the bags in her hand and sat opposite him. She didn't meet his eyes, watching her own fingers as they traced patterns on the table. After a few moments, McGee spoke again.

"When we were at dinner at Gibbs' place, you did say we'd talk soon. Guess we should have done it right away, huh?" He reached over and gently took her hand.

She looked up at him, eyes wide. "I'm sorry, Tim. I never meant to hurt you, and I wasn't trying to intentionally lie to you about it." She glanced away from him, then back when he squeezed her hand. "It's like I said then… you were getting more serious about us than I was ready for, and then we broke up before I made up my mind about sharing what Gibbs said about rule 12, so it didn't seem like there was much point."

McGee nodded and watched her for a moment, still holding her hand. Her eyes were shifting around a lot, and she was biting her lip. He thought he should just shrug it off and get some sleep, but he suspected that if he did, things would be awkward between them for a while.

"Abby… do you think that maybe we could try again, sometime?"

He guessed, given the shocked look on her face, that she hadn't been expecting that. She blinked rapidly, then gave him a tremulous smile. "I don't know, Timmy… maybe? I'm still not ready to get serious, probably not with anyone."

He nodded and squeezed her hand again. "Yeah, I know."

"You know? How can you know? I'm not even sure if I know!"

McGee grinned at her indignation, holding onto her hand even as she tried to pull away. "You forget that you're one of my best friends, Abby! I think we know each other pretty well. And wasn't it you who told me that you know me better than I know myself because you have a clearer view from outside my head? Seems to me that should work both ways."

Abby's eyes narrowed, then suddenly she relaxed and smiled at him. "I did say that, didn't I? It was after you got stuck in that women's prison, and I told you I wasn't surprised that you handled the situation so well." She sighed, bringing her other hand up to cover McGee's. "Tim… I love you, but I don't think I'm in love with you. I'm not even sure what I want from my life outside of my job; I love my job, and I love the team, and I love that I'm free to do what I want to do when I want to do it. Which isn't to say that I couldn't fall in love with you… I so could! But the last thing I want to do is to hurt you."

McGee nodded. "I get it, Abby, I do. I love you, and I could easily fall back in love with you… but I don't even want to go there unless you were to think that it really could work, that you could want us for the long haul." He squeezed her hand again and then let go. "Just do me a favor, Abs… don't keep something as important as what Gibbs had told you about rule 12 from me again, okay?" He held up a hand when Abby started to speak again. "Seriously… you know how angry you would have been with me if our positions had been reversed. So, just remember this if there's ever a next time."

He stood up from the table, meeting her eyes to make sure she got the message. She nodded, and he could see the tears in her eyes. He immediately felt bad, but he also knew he needed to be strong on this point, or their friendship could suffer for it in the future. "Wanna hug?"

Abby nodded again, then stood up and practically flew into his arms. They stood there for a few minutes, then McGee gently pulled back and smiled at her. "Now, you need to get some sleep."

Abby gave him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, then set off for her bedroom. McGee watched her walk away and could tell by the way she moved that she was upset. He switched off the light in the kitchen and headed for the couch and the piled blankets and pillows there, thinking he'd get Tony to talk to her in the morning.


	5. Decision and Debrief

_The first part of this takes place between chapters 11 and 12 of my FIOverse story Need to Know. The second part takes place at about the same time as the very end of chapter 12 of that same story._

_This concept of an afterlife is solely of my own imagining. It's not meant to be any sort of commentary towards or interpretation of any religious beliefs._

_Special thanks to gosgirl for the beta read on the first part of this story._

**The Decision**

Shannon arrived back at the meadow and looked around – no sign of Kelly. She sighed deeply and glanced up at the sky; it was grey and quiet, fitting her mood… but then, it always did reflect her feelings when she was alone there.

She walked through the tall grass, feeling it pull at the hem of her long sundress, heading for her favorite spot, a large rock next to a stream. Standing next to it, she ran the tips of her fingers over the rough surface, across rock and lichen and moss. Crossing her arms, she leaned against the rock and stared down at the flowing water.

Tears stung the corners of her eyes as she remembered that awful night… watching helplessly as Jethro screamed and sobbed and cried out Kelly's name – and her own. She was so grateful to have experienced the love she had with him, but in that one moment she'd wished for his sake that he'd never met her. That regret hadn't lasted long… she loved both him and Kelly far too much to truly wish anything had been different.

"Mom? What's wrong?"

Shannon turned, wiping the tears from her eyes as she faced her daughter. Kelly stood there, in dirty overalls, biting her lip, clearly worried.

"I was with Theresa… we were pretending to be horses in her park. That was okay, right?"

Shannon smiled and held out her hand, which Kelly ran forward to take. "Of course it was okay, sweetie. More than okay."

"Then what's wrong? Why're you sad?" Kelly squeezed her hand. "Is it Daddy?"

Shannon sighed and looked around. A bench shimmered into existence, and she led Kelly over to it. They sat, Shannon turning to face her daughter, one arm propped on the back of the bench and one leg folded on the seat in front of her. She ran her thumb over Kelly's wrist, watching a scrape morph into smooth, unblemished skin.

"I just had a long talk with Tony."

Kelly's face lit up. "Tony's so cool."

Shannon laughed. "Yes, he is, isn't he?"

"Daddy's got good taste," Kelly declared.

Shannon wrinkled her nose as her. "Your dad loves us, so we already knew that."

Kelly grinned, then raised her eyebrows. "So what did Tony say that made you sad?"

Shannon shook her head. "You are way too much your father's daughter." She sighed. "Tony wants you to talk to your dad."

Kelly's brow furrowed. "Did you tell him it didn't go so well last time?"

Shannon reached out and smoothed Kelly's hair back from her face. "Yeah, honey, I did. He says your dad still blames himself for what happened to us, especially to you. He thinks if you talk to him, he'll stop doing that."

Kelly scuffed her shoe along the ground. "I guess Daddy can't tell that I'm okay when I'm fireflies."

Shannon blinked back sudden tears. "I don't think he speaks firefly."

Kelly nodded, her face serious. "Then I need to talk to him."

Shannon winced. "I don't know, Kels… remember what happened last time? I don't want you or Daddy to get so upset again."

Kelly sniffled. "I don't either, Mom." She thought about it for a moment. "Tony loves him, right?"

"Of course."

"Tony wouldn't do anything to hurt Daddy… so I guess if he's asking, then he knows it's going to be okay."

Shannon stared at her. "Kelly… I want to believe that. But I remember watching your dad fall apart, and I remember how miserable you were afterwards. I don't want any of us to feel that awful again."

Kelly looked up at her mother, then closed her eyes. There was a shimmer in the air around her, and Shannon scooted back a bit, waiting while Kelly morphed from her eight-year-old self to an adult woman of about twenty-five.

Kelly was several inches taller than her mother, with long, thick, slightly wavy brown hair down almost to her waist. She had the lightly muscled body of someone who worked out regularly but not fanatically. She wore jeans and a flannel shirt that fit comfortably over her curves, and the eyes that met Shannon's had the intensity of her father's and a wisdom beyond her years.

"Mom… you don't need to protect me like you did when we were alive."

Shannon smiled ruefully. "Am I that obvious?"

"Just a bit." Kelly grinned, her smile so like her father's that Shannon felt like he was there with them.

"Kels…"

Kelly cut her off. "Mom. Do you really think it's fair to Dad to keep us apart? Fair to me?"

Shannon straightened, staring. "That's not – I mean…"

Kelly quickly reached for her hand. "You're trying to do the best you can for both of us. Dad always tried to keep us safe, but you were just as protective of me and of him. You're still protecting us – but is it really necessary now?" She gestured toward herself. "I'm not always eight anymore. And you're not always an adult, either." Kelly raised one eyebrow. "We've witnessed some pretty heavy-duty stuff since we've been here. And yes, I was upset for Dad after I tried to talk to him, but that's just it – I was upset for _him_, not for me."

Shannon sighed. "You're wiser than I am. How did that happen?"

Kelly shot her a crooked grin. "I died."

Shannon rolled her eyes.

"You got that look from Dad." Kelly folded her arms loosely over her chest. "You're not sure, are you?" She tilted her head to one side. "What did Tony say that's making you consider it at all?"

"He said that Jethro's not the same man anymore… and that he knows Jeth better than I do now."

"Ouch." Kelly grimaced. "That had to hurt."

"Yes and no." Shannon shrugged. "I just want him to be happy, Kels."

"Then listen to your heart, Mom. What's it telling you?"

Shannon breathed deeply and looked out over the meadow. The sky was a beautiful light blue now, with a few light, fluffy clouds in the distance.

"My heart says Jethro needs you."

"Then let's do this."

The air shimmered again, and Kelly was back to little-girl pony tails and a toothy smile. "Do you think I can talk to Tony too?"

Shannon swallowed the worry and smiled at her. "Well, I can."

"Yeah, but that's cause you're his soul mate like you're Daddy's."

"Not quite like Daddy's. But I guess you won't know until you try."

"So when can we try?"

Shannon reached out for her hand. "No time like the present."

They walked away from the rock, fading out as they crossed back over.

**The Debrief**

They reappeared in the same place where they'd disappeared earlier. Shannon was wiping tears away from her eyes while Kelly jumped excitedly around her.

"We did it, Mom! Daddy wasn't too sad, and Tony could hear me!"

Shannon blinked until her vision cleared. "I'm happy you were finally able to talk to your Dad, Kelly."

Kelly nodded emphatically. "It's been a _long_ time. I miss him already. Can we go back soon?"

"Let's give it a little time, honey. I think your dad needs to work through his emotions, and he needs to focus on his relationship with Tony."

Kelly stopped prancing around and looked at her seriously. "You don't think Tony's upset about the soul mates thing, do you?"

Shannon laughed a little. "I'm sure he's confused. I don't know if he's upset."

"Will Daddy be upset?"

"I don't think so. I think he understands a lot more about that sort of thing than he lets on."

"Yeah… I remember sometimes Daddy would pretend not to understand you, and you'd sort of get mad at him, but not really, and he'd have this little goofy grin on his face when you weren't looking, and then he'd do the perfect thing to make you happy."

Shannon smiled at some of those memories. "Exactly. Your father is a very smart man."

"That's what makes him such a good investigator, right?"

"I'm sure that's part of it."

"Last time we saw Kate, she said Daddy was better at reading people than she was, which she said surprised her 'cause she used to protect the President."

"I think the situation was a little more complicated than that."

"I wanna go see Kate again, and get more stories about Daddy and Tony."

"I'm sure she'd like that."

"Can we tell her about Daddy and Tony being in love?"

"Not our story to tell, Kels. Besides, I think Daddy and Tony would love to surprise her with that someday."

Kelly giggled. "I bet she'll be _really_ surprised!" She skipped over to the big rock and climbed up on top of it. "Do you think Tony likes me?"

"I'm sure of it. You're kinda cute."

"Mo-om! I'm serious!"

"You have nothing to worry about. Tony's going to love you."

"Awesome. I really want him and Daddy to be kids with us… we'd have a blast."

Shannon reached up and laid the palm of her hand against Kelly cheek. "I bet Tony as a kid was even more hyperactive than you."

Kelly wrinkled her nose at her.

"But, sweetheart… let's not wish them here too soon, alright? I want them here as much as you do, but they've got important things to do back on the other side. They'll be here someday."

Kelly looked down at the rock and poked at some of the moss growing on it, then looked up and met her mother's eyes. "I know. If they're here with us, that means they've died over there. It's not their time yet."

Shannon shook her head. "No, it's not."

"Will we know when it is?"

"Good question… I have no idea."

"Theresa said she knew when her brother crossed over here. She felt it when it when he died."

Shannon bit her lip. "Did it make her unhappy?"

Kelly shook her head. "Nope. She said she just knew… one moment she wasn't thinking about him at all, the next she just knew. And then she got excited, and then there he was."

"Awesome." Shannon grinned when Kelly's eyes narrowed a bit. "Yes, I'm copying you." She held out her hand. "Come on, let's go see Kate. You can tell her you finally got to talk to your dad. Just don't say a word about Tony and Daddy being together."

"Party pooper."

Shannon sighed. "Yup, that's me." She shot Kelly a mischievous look, then the air around her shimmered and she was a little girl of about eight years old. "I'll race you!" She released Kelly's hand and took off across the meadow; Kelly let out a delighted cry and ran after her, all beneath a brilliant blue sky.


	6. Divided

_This one takes place during chapter 15 of Need to Know, with a reference to chapter 35 of Second Law, as well as pictures taken in chapter 11 of Figuring It Out._

**Divided**

**Jethro and Shannon**

Shannon sat on the ground, her back against her favorite rock, watching Kelly playing with Theresa and her brother Matt. Matt had been quite a bit older than Theresa in life; now he was closer to the girls' age, and was trying to dictate rules of the game. Shannon smiled at his efforts to deal with two giggling eight-year-olds.

She sat up suddenly; she'd felt the peculiar tug that meant Jethro was dealing with something emotionally difficult. Kelly looked over at her; Shannon got to her feet and waved. Kelly nodded and went back to her game while Shannon faded from view.

She found herself in the basement, facing Jethro, who stood quietly looking down at a book he held in his hands. She moved closer, looking at the title: The Railway Children, by E. Nesbit. Shannon bit her lip; it was the book Jethro had been reading to Kelly when he left on that last deployment.

_Jethro? Are you alright?_

Jethro gave no sign of being startled by her voice. "Yeah, Shan… m'ok. Just… Tony got this. For me and Kelly."

Shannon smiled. _He's a good man._

"He is. One of the best." Jethro looked up, his eyes searching the basement. "Wish I could see you."

Shannon blinked back sudden tears. _I know. Wish I could touch you._

Jethro smiled gently. "Me too. That would make life confusing, though."

She laughed. _Yes, it would! Probably just as well, then._

Jethro shrugged, then looked back down at the book. "He keeps surprising me."

_In good ways, I trust._

"Yeah." Jethro smiled. "He gets me, Shan… like no one has before you or since. He cares so much… most people don't see that side of him; he doesn't let them. I think I have him figured out, then he does something like this…" Jethro held the book up. "No one's ever accepted your place in my life. Not before Tony."

_It's a hard thing to do, Jeth… people think they have to compete, or measure up. I'm sure that's what your ex-wives and girlfriends thought._

He nodded. "I didn't exactly make it easy for them."

Shannon tried to rest her hand on his shoulder… it went right through him. He didn't notice. _No, I guess you didn't. You shouldn't blame yourself, though… you were going through a difficult time. _

Jethro opened the book and flipped through the pages. "Decades of difficult. Sometimes I wished I'd died with you."

_I know._ There was a long pause while Jethro looked down at the book again. _You don't feel that way anymore, do you? _

Jethro shook his head, slowly.

_Tell me you don't feel guilty about that._

Jethro's lips twitched into a smile. "You know me too well."

Shannon growled; Jethro looked up, startled. _Just… _stop_! Don't you dare start sabotaging your life or this wonderful thing you have with Tony because of some misplaced sense of martyrdom!_

His eyes widened. "Shan… I have no intention of doing either. I love Tony, you know that. You encouraged me to get involved with him – I wouldn't feel guilty on that score. Not gonna screw up the best thing in my life since you and Kels, not if I can help it."

_Okay. Remember all that._

Jethro smiled. "I will. I do. Just… sometimes I get hit with it, you know?"

Shannon sighed quietly and looked at him carefully. He looked good… younger, more carefree than he had in a long time.

_You really are alright._

He nodded.

_Want me to get Kelly? She'd love to see you._

"Please."

**Tony**

Shannon stood near the couch, watching as Jethro read to Kelly. Kelly was curled up at his side; she'd tried leaning into him and had fallen right through him, catching herself and looking wide-eyed at her mother. Shannon had grinned at her; Kelly had rolled her eyes and centered herself on the couch, leaning back and then next to her father, this time remembering to hold herself in place. It was more automatic with inanimate objects like couches; not so much with people, apparently.

Shannon had watched and listened for a while. Kelly interrupted her father with questions and comments several times; each time made him smile. After a while, she'd noticed him glancing up at the ceiling; as much as she wanted to stay and listen, she decided to check on Tony and see what was keeping him.

She could have levitated up through the ceiling, but that took more energy than she wanted to expend, so she centered herself over the stairs and moved right through the door into the kitchen. She saw evidence of dinner preparations, including the chicken roasting in the oven, but no sign of Tony.

She moved through the house; she hadn't been up here much, mostly sticking to the basement. She noted the changes since Tony moved in, and approved of them. She remembered the house being much too empty the few times she'd been up here; it was more of a home now.

Shannon hesitated, but finally went upstairs and into the master bedroom. It was set up differently than she'd remembered… the bed was against a different wall, there was a new headboard, new rug, a chair she didn't recognize, and a gigantic teddy bear sitting on another chair. She smiled and shook her head, then moved to the bed and looked down at its sleeping occupant.

Tony was a very attractive man. She was sort of surprised that some woman hadn't snagged him a long time ago, but her talks with him had shown her someone complex who wouldn't fall for just anyone. She watched him sleep, debated waking him up, but then decided not to. She looked around the room before heading back downstairs; a couple of pictures on the wall caught her eye.

She moved closer and looked at them. Jethro and Tony, in the kitchen… in one, kissing passionately, in the other, smiling happily, looking into each other's eyes, arms around each other. She wondered who had taken them, surprised that Jethro would let himself be caught in such a private moment.

Jethro's grin in the picture was catching. She realized she was smiling as she looked at it, and reached out to try to trace his face. She couldn't really touch it, but she could pretend. Then she looked at Tony in the picture, at his obvious happiness, and her smile faded a bit.

She turned to look back down at the sleeping man, and suddenly felt a rush of envy. He had what had been hers. He could touch, hold, make love… she couldn't. For a moment she felt anger, not so much at him as at the universe in general, for what she'd lost.

She'd had that one moment, when Jethro's pain and fear over possibly losing Tony to an explosion had allowed him to cross over to her meadow in a dream. She could hold him then… she forced the negative emotions down and savored that memory.

Shannon turned back to the picture and focused on Jethro's smile. _He deserves to be happy. He should be happy. And Tony deserves it too. _

She looked back down at him, reaching out to run her fingers through the hair over his forehead; they went right through the dark strands. _Sorry, Tony_, she whispered. He shifted a bit in his sleep.

Shannon made her way back out of the room and to the basement.

**Family**

Shannon heard the basement door open; she also noticed the slight change in Jethro's voice as he heard it close again. _Silly Tony_, she thought, and headed upstairs.

She found him the living room, looking at the books on the shelves. Smiling, she crept forward until she was right behind him, speaking directly in his ear.

_Tony! Why aren't you downstairs with us?_

She moved back a bit as Tony jumped, then laid his hand dramatically over his heart, his eyes artificially wide as he turned to look around the room. She sighed and shook her head at his antics.

"Much as I like you, Shannon, could you not try to scare me into an early grave?"

_Oh, please. You have more lives than a cat._

"Does a cat really have nine lives?"

Shannon rolled her eyes, smiling at the challenge he represented, thinking that Jethro must have an awful lot of fun with him. _Stop changing the subject. Why are you up here?_

Tony let his hand drop. "I wanted to give Jethro time with his family."

Shannon's eyebrows shot up. She wasn't surprised, not really, knowing how much he did care about Jethro. _That's nice … but the family isn't complete without you. _

Tony blinked, looking where he thought Shannon would be. "Are you sure?"

Shannon sighed again. _Of course I'm sure. Jethro loves you, Tony. Kelly thinks you're adorable, and you're already becoming the brother I never had._

Tony relaxed into a warm smile. "I wish I could hug you right now."

She laughed, a bit surprised at his echo of both her thoughts and Jethro's words from earlier. _I'll look forward to that, as long as it happens many, many years from now. Join us?_

Tony nodded and she turned to head back to the basement. She went through the door and down the first few steps, then looked back when she realized he wasn't right behind her. She saw him peering over the banister, looking down at Jethro sitting on the couch.

"Hey, Shannon!" he whispered. "Where's Kelly?"

She glanced down to see that Kelly hadn't moved since she left. _She's on the couch, leaning against Jethro's left side_, she replied.

Tony continued to look down, and she saw a wistful expression cross his face. "He can't feel her, can he?"

At that moment Shannon fell in love with him, just a little… and vowed to herself never to envy his relationship with Jethro again. _No… but she asks a lot of questions and provides running commentary. He knows where she is. _ She paused. _It's where she always used to sit when he read to her._

They both stood there, listening to Jethro read and answer Kelly's questions. Shannon saw Tony grin suddenly; whatever made him smile prompted him to move down the stairs, where he was greeted by Kelly's voice.

_Hi, Tony! I was wondering where you were._

"Hey, Kelly. I was really tired after work, so I went upstairs to take a nap."

_Thanks for the book. Daddy said you got it for us._

"I'm glad you like it."

Tony moved to the couch and sat on Jethro's right. Jethro looked over at him and smiled, then shifted the book to his left hand and reached out to take Tony's hand in his, entwining their fingers. Shannon moved past them to settle on the couch at Kelly's side. For a moment she didn't really hear Jethro reading; she was staring at his hand linked with Tony's.

A tear escaped her eye and made its way down her cheek. Kelly turned to look at her, and Shannon hurriedly reached up to wipe it away. Kelly extended her hand and grasped her mother's, holding on tightly while she settled back in to listen to her father.

**Shannon and Kelly**

The air near the rock shimmered; Shannon and Kelly appeared next to it a moment later. They immediately turned toward each other.

""Are you okay?""

Shannon laughed. Kelly grinned at her, then closed her eyes. The air shimmered again, and Kelly stood taller than Shannon now, a woman in her mid-twenties.

Shannon just looked at her and Kelly shrugged. "Figure it's easier to talk about these things if we're both adults."

"You're probably right."

They went to sit on the bench that hadn't been there before, and Kelly reached out to take her mother's hand. "You were upset."

Shannon shook her head. "Not upset exactly… it hit me today, that I miss being able to touch your father."

Kelly nodded. "Yeah… it was really strange, leaning on him without feeling him there." She smiled slightly, looking out over the meadow. "I always felt so safe with him… he was warm and strong and I remember thinking nothing could hurt us."

Shannon reached out with her other hand and laid it on Kelly's shoulder. "Are you sorry you had to realize how separated we are now?"

Kelly's eyes widened and she looked at her mother, shaking her head vigorously. "Are you kidding?! Not being able to touch Dad is worth seeing and talking to him again. I wouldn't trade that for anything."

"Good to know."

"It must be different for you."

Shannon took a deep breath. "It is. It didn't really hit me before today."

Kelly nodded. "You've always tried to be extra strong for him… like when he was leaving to go back overseas. I was the basket case begging him not to go, and you were the strong one."

Shannon shook her head. "I was crying on the inside, believe me. I didn't want to make things more difficult for him… you know it wasn't easy for him to leave."

"I know… and I'd feel bad about being upset if it would make any difference now."

They were quiet for a few minutes, watching the colors in the sky deepen toward a sunset that never really happened.

"Does it bother you… Dad being with Tony?"

"That's a loaded question."

"Does it?"

Shannon laughed a little. "I've said it before, but you're _so_ your father's daughter." She sighed and shook her head. "No, it really doesn't. It was hard at times today, seeing them touch, knowing I couldn't do the same… but it wasn't because I was upset about Tony, or wished he wasn't there."

"You just wanted to be able to do what he could."

"You got it."

Kelly's eyes searched her face for a moment before she relaxed. "You really are okay with them together."

Shannon reached up and ran her hand over Kelly's hair. "I really am. Tony's proven how much he loves your dad… and he cares about you too. He asked me where you were before we came downstairs. He wanted to respect your space." Shannon smiled softly. "I liked him a lot before; I think I love him a bit now."

Kelly smiled, then blinked rapidly. "Uh… you mean in a sisterly sort of way, right? It's just, the idea of you and Dad and Tony…"

"_Kelly!"_

Kelly grinned at her, then yelped and tried to fend off a second head slap. "Just checking!"

Shannon laughed and sat back. "Tony is your father's lover. Not mine."

"So what are you guys going to do once they're both here?"

Shannon shook her head. "I haven't the foggiest idea. We'll work it out."

Kelly nodded. "Julie's said there's a lot we don't know about how things work here. That we won't find out about until our family's complete."

"Yeah. I miss having that physical connection with your father, but please believe I'm in no rush to have him cross over."

Kelly nodded. "He's the happiest he's been since we died."

"Let's hope he stays that way."

Kelly smiled, then stood. "Let's go see something important… we could use a distraction."

"Alright. What do you want to see?"

"How about… I know! Let's watch the Wright brothers' first flight!"

"Nice idea. Follow it up with a visit to Ancient Greece?"

"Definitely!"

The two women set off across the meadow, slowly fading out of sight.

_Author's note: Julie was first mentioned in Missing Scene 3, Seeking Jethro. She's Shannon's and Kelly's guide to the afterlife._


End file.
